PLUMMER DISEASE

Course overview

PLUMMER DISEASE, ALSO KNOWN AS TOXIC MULTI-NODULAR GOITER (MNG), IS A HORMONALLY ACTIVE MULTI-NODULAR GOITER WITH HYPERTHYROIDISM. PLUMMER DISEASE WAS FIRST DESCRIBED BY HENRY PLUMMER, AN AMERICAN PHYSICIAN, IN 1913. IT CONSISTS OF MORE THAN ONE AUTONOMOUS THYROID NODULE, OR ONE OR MORE AUTONOMOUS NODULES TOGETHER WITH ONE OR MORE NONAUTONOMOUS SOLID, CYSTIC, OR MIXED (SOLID AND CYSTIC) NODULES OR NUMEROUS SMALL AUTONOMOUS AREAS ASSOCIATED WITH A SPECTRUM OF HYPERTHYROIDISM RANGING FROM SUBCLINICAL HYPERTHYROIDISM TO SEVERE THYROTOXICOSIS. AUTONOMOUS NODULES APPEAR AS HYPERACTIVE (HOT OR WARM), AND NONAUTONOMOUS NODULES AS HYPOACTIVE (COLD) OR NORMOACTIVE ON NUCLEAR MEDICINE THYROID SCINTIGRAPHY. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, TREATMENT, PROGNOSIS, AND COMPLICATIONS OF PLUMMER DISEASE AND HIGHLIGHTS THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM'S ROLE IN EVALUATING AND TREATING THIS CONDITION.